Government Resources – Advanced BioFuels USA

The Feedstock Whisperers: BETO’s Upgraded Biomass Feedstock National User Facility Is Open for Business

by Katie Carnahan and Michelle Goff (Idaho National Laboratory/Biofuels Digest) … The upgraded Biomass Feedstock National User Facility (BFNUF) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) addresses many of the challenges facing the U.S. bioenergy industry. The research conducted at the facility supports advanced feedstock supply logistics, post-harvest quality management, material handling,

January 20, 2023 Read Full Article

Low-Carbon Hydrogen Heads for Sarnia

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To support the region’s ambition of being the launching point of a large-scale, multi-faceted low-carbon hydrogen economy in Ontario – as Ontario’s Hydrogen Hub – the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership has released the Ontario’s Hydrogen Hub in Sarnia-Lambton Strategic Plan, and it’s well worth a look, a gander, and

January 9, 2023 Read Full Article

How the $1.7T Omnibus Affects Energy, from CCS to Hydrogen

by Carlos Anchondo, Miranda Willson, David Iaconangelo, Niina H. Farah (E&E News) … The omnibus bill — which would fund the government at $1.7 trillion for fiscal 2023 — would provide $46.5 billion to DOE to “fund programs in its primary mission areas of science, energy, environment, and national security,” Senate

December 22, 2022 Read Full Article

Is There a Profitable Approach to Carbon Capture and Storage?

(Climte Now) with George Peridas, Jonathan Kusel, and Joshuah Stolaroff — In the international carbon offset market, the average price of removing one tonne of CO2 from the atmosphere is still below $15 USD, nowhere near enough to cover the costs of carbon capture and storage (CCS). As Dr. Sheila Olmstead (University

November 22, 2022 Read Full Article

West Africa Dialogue on Ethanol Clean Cooking Solutions: Social, Health, Economic, Environmental and Climate Impacts

(ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE)) The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to UN of several countries is lagging behind in achieving 2030 SDG commitments and actions. The pandemic became a bottleneck in the development process of the nations. Like Africa many other countries have expressed interests to

November 21, 2022 Read Full Article

Chemists Create an ‘Artificial Photosynthesis’ System that Is 10 Times More Efficient than Existing Systems

by Louise Lerner (University of Chicago News) UChicago breakthrough creates methane fuel from sun, carbon dioxide and water — For the past two centuries, humans have relied on fossil fuels for concentrated energy; hundreds of millions of years of photosynthesis packed into a convenient, energy-dense substance. But that supply is

November 18, 2022 Read Full Article

Calling all Clean Technology Start-Ups! Applications Open for Entrepreneurship Program at Argonne National Laboratory DEADLINE November 30, 2022

(Argonne National Laboratory/Department of Energy) Are you an innovator interested in developing your clean energy or climate tech startup? Applications are now open for the Chain Reaction Innovations (CRI) entrepreneurship program, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). CRI is a two-year fellowship program that propels

November 17, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to the BioMade Consortium

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) BioMADE’s mission is to enable domestic bioindustrial manufacturing at all scales, develop technologies to enhance U.S. bioindustrial competitiveness, de-risk investment in relevant infrastructure, and expand the biomanufacturing workforce to realize the economic promise of industrial biotechnology. CEO Douglas Friedman presented these slides at ABLC Next

November 17, 2022 Read Full Article

California Greenhouse Gas Emissions for 2000 to 2020 Trends of Emissions and Other Indicators

(California Air Resources Board) The annual statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventory is one tool to track progress of California’s climate programs toward achieving the statewide GHG goals. This document summarizes the trends in emissions and indicators in the California GHG Emission Inventory (“the GHG Inventory”). The emissions included in

November 15, 2022 Read Full Article

U.S. Laboratories Research Biofuel Solutions for Different Engine Types

by Ariana Fine (NGT News) Biofuel is closer to becoming a cost-competitive, climate-friendly solution for slashing carbon emissions in cars and trucks, according to two new studies. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has collaborated with the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL)

November 15, 2022 Read Full Article

IEA Report Outlines Growth Potential for Liquid Biofuels

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The International Energy Agency on Oct. 27 released its World Energy Outlook 2022. The report, in part, predicts global biofuel consumption could more than double by 2030 and continue to increase through 2050. According to the IEA, more than 80 countries currently have biofuel blending

November 2, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Swing Process for Reactive CO2 Capture and Conversion to Methanol

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In this project, researchers are designing and developing tailored dual-function materials (DFMs) and the accompanying pressure-swing process for reactive capture and conversion (RCC) of CO2 to directly produce methanol. This will favor lower capital and operating expenses and offer compatibility with a dynamic energy grid

October 31, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Catalytic Polymers for Simultaneous CO2 Capture and Conversion to Value-Added Chemicals

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This Project aims to advance the Technical Readiness Level through experimental and modeling to enhance the efficiencies while assessing the TEA/LCA of a dual functional catalytic porous polymer for simultaneous capture and conversion of CO2 to value added chemicals (formic acid initially) under natural gas

October 28, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to the National Carbon Capture Center

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The National Carbon Capture Center is a centralized test facility providing comprehensive support for technology testing and evaluation, relating to process, engineering, operational, analytical, troubleshooting and maintenance. The NCCC aims to accelerate technology development, scale up, cost reduction and commercialization of CO2 capture, utilization and

October 24, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Recent Point Source Capture Techno-economic Analysis

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This Project aims to update a 2014 NETL study that quantifies the cost and performance associated with capturing point-source CO2 from industrial plants. It’s a part of the search for CO2 capture, and Sally Homsy and Tim Fout of the National Energy Technology Laboratory presented

October 21, 2022 Read Full Article

EPA Awards Food Lifeline $200,000 for Project to Reduce Methane, Food Waste in South Seattle

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Food Lifeline of Seattle approximately $200,000 to assist in the development of a community-owned anaerobic digester in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle. Anaerobic digestion is a process in which microorganisms break down organic materials, such as food scraps, manure, and

October 14, 2022 Read Full Article

Agile BioFoundry Selects New Collaborations

(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences and the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems at the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the selection of six projects to conduct research and development that

October 13, 2022 Read Full Article

Less than Zero: Camelina Co., Praj, LanzaTech, Northwestern, GCH, Yale, NREL Launch New Centers of Excellence to Advance Feedstocks, Cell‐Free Systems, Genome Engineering for Carbon-Negative Manufacturing

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … We have three new centers of excellence to focus upon today. The Center for Camelina In Spain, Camelina Company España, Europe’s largest camelina crop innovator and seed producer, opened their new Innovation Center in Daimiel, Spain. Camelina is grown for use by Camelina Company’s parent

October 7, 2022 Read Full Article

Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium Annual Review of Research FY 2021

(U.S. Department of Energy) Led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, the Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium (FCIC) is a multi-lab collaboration that develops first-principles-based knowledge and tools to understand, quantify, and mitigate the effects of feedstock and process variability across the bioenergy value chain, from the field and

October 5, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Improved Advanced Biomass Logistics Utilizing Woody Feedstocks

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Harvesting and transportation makes up 40 –60% of the delivered cost of SRWC and are an important source of GHG emissions. Harvesting systems are not well developed — throughput decreases up to 65% from harvester to short term storage. Changes in biomass quality and impacts

October 4, 2022 Read Full Article

44 Minnesota Gas Stations Get Grants to Offer More Biofuel Options

(Fox 9) A new grant will help 44 gas stations in Minnesota add greener fuel options at the pump. — The Minnesota Department of Agriculture grant from the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Biofuels Infrastructure Grant Program will award more than $6.4 million to 44 service stations to offset the cost

October 1, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Electrocatalytic CO2 Utilization

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) CO2 is the ubiquitous feedstock, available from a range of point sources, as well as in the atmosphere. It’s the only feedstock measured in gigatons. Domestic biorefineries emit a very pure CO2 wastestream, and represent an early opportunity for deployment of CO2 utilization technologies. But

September 29, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to the Upgrading of C2 Intermediates

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ethanol is an attractive feedstock for middle distillate fuels and chemical products. How do we unlock the potential not only for ethanol-to-jet, but for C3+olefin (ETO) opportunities, and more. Dehydrate, oligomerize, hydrogenate – the path to minimizing capex and opex. Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Zhenglong

September 20, 2022 Read Full Article

USDA Picks 70 Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities in Historic $2.8B Investment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) News has arrived from Washington that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing up to $2.8 billion in 70 projects under the first pool of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity. It’s become the US Department of Action, as it turns out, the grand ol’ USDA. Big wins

September 20, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Advanced Catalyst Synthesis and Characterization

by Jim Lane (Biofuel Digest) Accelerated catalyst and process development cycle enabling demonstrated performance enhancements in half the time. That’s the bold goal of a DOE project aimed at providing a fundamental insight leading to actionable recommendations for critical catalysis challenges by leveraging world-class synthesis and characterization capabilities across multiple DOE National

September 19, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Utilizing Electricity to Produce Intermediates from CO2 and Biomass

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This project funded by the US Department of Energy and led by NREL’s Josh Schaidle aims to Guide existing and future research and development efforts by defining key technical challenges, risks, cost/carbon intensity drivers, and future technical targets for utilizing renewable electricity and CO2to improve

September 14, 2022 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Formate Utilization for Value-Added Products

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) How do we utilize CO2 with cheaper renewable energy? What products can we make? Those are the questions explored in this project funded by the US Department of Energy’s BETO office and led by Jonathan Lo at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Among the differentiators:

September 13, 2022 Read Full Article

4H Club, Methane to the Rescue: The Calysta, Mango Materials, Industrial Microbes, T2C Energy Stories

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biogas is an ancient thing, organisms have been making it for millenia – only in recent decades have we learned to capture and use it to generate on-site heat and power. … … This is the supply of methane as an intermediate feedstock for the

September 13, 2022 Read Full Article

2021 Project Peer Review Report

(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) hosted its virtual 2021 Project Peer Review on March 8‒12, 15‒16, and 22‒26, 2021. During the event, 271 projects in BETO’s research portfolio were presented, representing a total DOE investment of $662 million across 12 technology areas.

August 29, 2022 Read Full Article

Africa Faces Rising Energy Demands

by Colin Ley (Biofuels International) Assessing the state on biofuels development across Africa with any degree of accuracy or fairness is always a challenge, given the vastness and diversity of the continent. The complexity of the task is even greater at the moment as the impact of Russia’s invasion of

August 18, 2022 Read Full Article

Insight from the EIA: Tracking the U.S. Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel Sectors – Mindi Farber-DeAnda, EIA

(Biodiesel Magazine) This week’s Biodiesel Magazine podcast features, Mindi Farber-DeAnda, Team Lead of Petroleum & Natural Gas Modeling with U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Interview by Anna Simet, editor of Biodiesel Magazine and hosted by Danielle Piekarski. READ MORE

August 16, 2022 Read Full Article

Unlocking the Mystery of Catalyst Poisoning

by Asanga Padmaperuma (U.S. Department of Energy) A research team from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory investigates how potassium in biomass feedstocks poisons a catalyst. Their discovery allowed researchers to better understand catalyst health and regeneration during the conversion of feedstocks into biofuels and bioproducts. The creation of biofuels involves a little

August 12, 2022 Read Full Article

En Route to Market: Alder Fuels and NREL Partner to Scale Sustainable Aviation Fuel Technology for Commercial Use

by Erik F. Ringle (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) A critical pathway for producing large quantities of low- to negative-carbon sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is en route to market following a collaborative research and development agreement between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Alder Fuels. The technology—an advanced pyrolysis process that

August 9, 2022 Read Full Article

Researchers Enlist Sturdy Yeast to Help Make Cost-Effective Ethanol

(U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service) Yeasts play a key role in converting (“fermenting”) sugars from plants into ethanol fuel. But not all yeasts are created equal. Some are better fermenters than others because they can tolerate the harsh conditions of the bioreactors in which they’re used. Clavispora NRRL Y-50464 is

August 5, 2022 Read Full Article

Advancing Synergistic Waste Utilization as Biofuels Feedstocks: Preprocessing, Coproducts, and Sustainability Workshop Summary Report

(U.S. Department of Energy) The Advancing Synergistic Waste Utilization as Biofuels Feedstocks: Preprocessing, Coproducts, and Sustainability Workshop covered the topic of municipal solid waste streams as a feedstock for biofuels. The workshop invited stakeholders representing academia, industry, municipalities, and federal agencies involved in waste management, resource and energy recovery, waste utilization, and sustainability.

August 3, 2022 Read Full Article

Found: The ‘Holy Grail of Catalysis’ — Turning Methane into Methanol under Ambient Conditions Using Light

by Paul Boisvert (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) An international team of researchers, led by scientists at the University of Manchester, has developed a fast and economical method of converting methane, or natural gas, into liquid methanol at ambient temperature and pressure. The method takes place under continuous flow over a

July 26, 2022 Read Full Article

Scientists from across Country Lending Expertise to AltEn Study

by Chris Dunker (Lincoln Journal Star) Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey have joined the expanding research effort at AltEn to better understand how pesticides used widely in seed treatments move across the landscape. And, by scouring creek beds, studying food webs and sampling tap water from homes near the

July 21, 2022 Read Full Article

ClassNK Releases 2.0 Version of Alternative Fuel Guidelines for Ships

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Japan, ClassNK has released the “Guidelines for Ships Using Alternative Fuels (Edition 2.0),” which sets forth safety requirements for ships fueled by methanol, ethanol, LPG, and ammonia. In particular, specific requirements for ammonia-fueled ships have been added to provide guidance for the design of alternative-fueled

July 21, 2022 Read Full Article

Victor Tango Foxtrot – The Pursuit of Affordable Sustainable Aviation Fuels at Scale

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In aviation fuels as elsewhere in life, it’s sustainable, affordable, available, pick two out of three. You can find affordable SAF, but not in big volumes. You can find as much unaffordable SAF as you like. as we know, there’s plenty of petroleum-based jet fuel and the

July 21, 2022 Read Full Article

Two New Open-Source Tools Predict Biomass Flow Behavior and Blade Wear

(U.S. Department of Energy) Understanding and predicting the flow behavior of complex biomass materials and the lifetimes of biorefinery machinery are significant challenges for the bioenergy industry. To help process engineers navigate these challenges, researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office’s Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium (FCIC) have developed two

July 20, 2022 Read Full Article

Carbon Matchmaker

(U.S. Department of Energy) The Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management is focused on advancing carbon management technologies to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions through strong public-private partnerships and in a just and sustainable way. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) enables this mission by directing over $12 billion dollars

July 19, 2022 Read Full Article

CEMEX USA Chooses CNG & Bio-CNG for Southern California Truck Fleet

(CEMEX/NGV Journal) CEMEX USA has added close to 40 low-emission CNF-powered trucks to replace diesel powered vehicles in its Southern California fleet as part of efforts to achieve carbon neutrality throughout its value chain by 2050. CEMEX’s new state-of-the-art trucks, which started to be delivered in April, are all powered by

July 19, 2022 Read Full Article

RFA: California Takes Big Step toward E15 Approval with Release of Emissions Study

(Renewable Fuels Association) The state of California took an important step toward approving the use of cleaner, lower-cost E15 today (July 15, 2022) by releasing the results of a multi-year study of the fuel’s emissions impacts. The results of the study, which tested 20 vehicles, show that shifting from E10 to

July 18, 2022 Read Full Article

Both Ends of the Bridge at Once: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to the DOE’s Co-Optima Project

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What’s the perfect fuel, and the perfect vehicle? Can we optimize both at the same time, instead of optimizing one at a time? Researchers associated with the Co-Optima project aim to identify low carbon fuel-engine combinations that increase fuel economy by 35% (light duty) or

July 18, 2022 Read Full Article

Vilsack Announces Bioproduct Pilot Program Funded by Bipartisan Infrastructure Law DEADLINE: August 31, 2022

(U.S. Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for a new pilot program created under President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support the development of biobased products that have lower carbon footprints and increase the use of renewable agricultural materials, creating

July 5, 2022 Read Full Article

Bacteria for Blastoff: Using Microbes to Make Supercharged New Rocket Fuel

by Aliyah Kovner (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) … Well aware of the advantages biology has to offer, a group of biofuel experts led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) took inspiration from an extraordinary antifungal molecule made by Streptomyces bacteria to develop a totally new type of fuel that has projected

July 4, 2022 Read Full Article

Can Farms Produce to the Max and Still Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

by Kristen Mally Dean (Argonne National Laboratory) Decarbonizing agriculture is critical for the U.S. to reach net zero emissions by 2050. A new data-driven approach looks at practices that are good for the earth and profitable for farmers. — The world relies on American farmers to do much more than

June 27, 2022 Read Full Article

Ethanol vs. Petroleum-Based Fuel Carbon Emissions

by Valerie Sarisky-Reed (U.S. Department of Energy) Biofuels have been proven to emit significantly lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than petroleum-based fuels, and recent scientific studies indicate that net-zero emission biofuels are not only possible, but achievable. Corn ethanol and other biofuels are essential in America’s transition to a clean energy economy

June 24, 2022 Read Full Article

USDA’s Rural Business Cooperative Service: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to USDA

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The commercialization of emerging tech, the production of biofuels, renewable chemicals and biobased products – these are some of the things the USDA Rural Business Cooperative Service is working on. Find out about their Guaranteed Loan Programs, trends they are seeing, the USDA BioPreferred Program,

June 17, 2022 Read Full Article

If EVs Don’t Cut CO2 Fast Enough, These Fuels Might Help:

(E&E News/Politico Pro) Researchers with DOE say gasoline might have to be substituted with biofuels to ensure that climate targets are achieved as electric vehicles slowly phase in. — The U.S. Department of Energy released the results of a six-year initiative that provides a national road map for alternative ways to

June 17, 2022 Read Full Article

On the Road to a Net-Zero-Carbon Transportation Future

(U.S. Department of Energy) America’s car, truck, and train wheels keep turning, while planes and boats take to the skies and oceans, releasing 1.5 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere every year. Breakthroughs from the U.S. Department of Energy Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative could make

June 14, 2022 Read Full Article

MME and ProQR/GIZ Launch Study “Governance and Public Policies to Incentivize the Production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel”

(Brazil Ministry of Mines and Energy (Google Translation)) The study is an analytical framework on public policy that will introduce sustainable aviation fuel into the Brazilian energy matrix. — The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and the ProQR Project (Alternative Fuels Without Climate Impacts) of GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für

June 3, 2022 Read Full Article

Waste-to-Fuels Demo Plant, Research Facility Opens in Vienna

by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) A demonstration facility has opened in Vienna, Austria, at the site of a waste-incineration plant where syngas from wood waste, sewage sludge and paper-industry residues is cleaned and, using a gas-to-liquid process such as Fischer-Tropsch, converted into a crude oil. This can then be further

May 31, 2022 Read Full Article

Promoting Favorable Ethanol Action through REEEAC

by Kelly Davis (Renewable Fuels Association) On May 24, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee (REEEAC) held its last Charter 6 meeting. REEEAC advises the Secretary of Commerce regarding the development and administration of programs and policies that expand the competitiveness of U.S. exports of renewable energy

May 31, 2022 Read Full Article

Solving Today’s Ag Challenges: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to FFAR

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research builds public-private partnerships and funds pioneering research focusing on key challenge areas like next generation crops, soil health, advanced animal systems, sustainable water management, and more. Find out who is involved, what programs are used to invest in

May 20, 2022 Read Full Article

Accelerating Bioenergy: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Department of Energy’s EERE

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Michael Berube, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation at the Department of Energy shared this illuminating slide guide at ABLC on what the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)’s goal is with bioenergy, biomass in sustainable transportation including sustainable aviation fuel, and more. READ

May 13, 2022 Read Full Article

NREL Senior Research Fellow Honored for International Leadership and Innovation in Energy Chemistry

by Cassandra Sulmeisters (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Senior Research Fellow Bob McCormick was recently recognized with one of the highest honors by the American Chemical Society (ACS): the Henry H. Storch Award in Energy Chemistry for his research on alternative and low-carbon fuels, including the chemistry

May 9, 2022 Read Full Article

£5m Fund Launched to Develop Carbon Dioxide Utilisation Technology

(Scottish Enterprise) A new fund to help develop the emerging CO2 utilisation technology has been launched. The CO2 Utilisation Challenge Fund will help businesses and organisations develop and commercialise the technology, which involves harnessing and converting CO2 – the biggest contributor to climate change emissions – and using it to

April 27, 2022 Read Full Article

Preem Signs SEK 3 Billion Loan Agreement with Swedish Export Credit Corporation

(Preem) As part of the strategy to switch to large-scale renewable fuel production, Preem will sign a SEK 3 billion loan agreement with Swedish Export Credit Corporation (SEK). The loan is covered by the Swedish National Debt Office’s program for green credit guarantees. This is the first guarantee the Swedish National

April 26, 2022 Read Full Article

Co-Processing Cooperation: National Labs Working Together to Create Clean Energy Fuels

(U.S. Department of Energy) Since 2018, a multi-laboratory consortium, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and guided by an industrial advisory board, has focused on adding co-processing of bio-oils into existing refinery units with petroleum feedstocks to produce sustainable transportation fuels. Together, this consortium addresses the most critical

April 22, 2022 Read Full Article

USDA Announces Efforts to Boost Homegrown Biofuels

(U.S. Department of Agriculture/Ethanol Producer Magazine) On April 12, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced steps the USDA is taking to implement President Biden’s plan to enable energy independence by boosting homegrown biofuels. “President Biden understands that by expanding our ability to meet our energy needs with homegrown biofuels, we can ensure a more

April 19, 2022 Read Full Article

U.S. Biomethane Vehicle Projects Grow 85% in Two Years, Says Argonne

(Argonne National Laboratory) Made from organic waste, renewable natural gas is rapidly gaining ground as an alternative fuel source with the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Public and private interest in this low-carbon fuel has grown dramatically in recent years, said Marianne Mintz, principal transportation systems analyst at

April 19, 2022 Read Full Article

Workshop: Bioenergy’s Role in Soil Carbon Storage

(U.S. Department of Energy) What is the role of bioenergy in soil carbon storage? Bioenergy provides a powerful way to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, increase carbon storage in soils, and produce sustainable biomass feedstocks. On March 28–29, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

April 15, 2022 Read Full Article

Gen-1 Ethanol Opportunities: Improving Life Cycle GHG Benefits of Existing Biofuel Production Workshop

(U.S. Department of Energy) On February 1, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) hosted the Gen-1 Ethanol Opportunities: Improving Life Cycle GHG Benefits of Existing Biofuel Production Virtual Workshop. The workshop was designed to gather stakeholder input to assess the potential of current and developing technologies to meet BETO

April 15, 2022 Read Full Article

Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority Announces Biofuel Infrastructure Funding

(Missouri Department of Agriculture) Funds will generate more capacity for biofuels in Missouri. — The Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority (MASBDA) announced it has invested more than $2 million in projects that increase the distribution and use of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel in the State of Missouri. Expenses incurred

April 8, 2022 Read Full Article

EPA Holds Webinar on New Chemical Risk Management Actions for Biofuels

(Bergeson & Campbell) On April 6, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a webinar on “New Chemical Risk Management Actions under TSCA.” As reported in our January 24, 2022, blog item, in January 2022, EPA announced an effort to streamline the review of new biobased or waste-derived chemicals that could displace current,

April 7, 2022 Read Full Article

Thune, Klobuchar Urge EPA to Update Biofuel Emissions Modeling

(KLGR) Two Senate Ag Committee members recently urged the Environmental Protection Agency to update its greenhouse gas modeling for biofuels. Senators John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, and Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, asked the EPA to adopt the Argonne National Lab’s Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation,

April 7, 2022 Read Full Article

ACE to EPA: Adopt GREET Model and Recognize Ethanol’s Low Carbon Value

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In South Dakota, The American Coalition for Ethanol submitted feedback to the Environmental Protection Agency’s request for comment on the current scientific understanding of greenhouse gas modeling of land-based crop biofuels. ACE CEO Brian Jennings and ACE Board Director Ron Alverson contributed to the feedback after attending

April 4, 2022 Read Full Article

Not Your Average SOS: Research Methods to Respond to and Prevent Algae Crop Collapse

by Daniel B. Fishman and Anne Otwell (U.S. Department of Energy) National laboratories discover the telltale signs of algae distress to target effective treatments and mitigate crop collapse. — Algae are an exciting renewable feedstock for the future of sustainable fuels and products. One particularly interesting application, which the U.S.

April 1, 2022 Read Full Article

Bioconversion of Algae Proteins & Carbs: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Sandia National Lab’s Algae Work

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) If you want to know what is being done to overcome current limitations for conversion of algae biomass to fuels and bioproducts by efficient utilization of proteins and carbohydrates, which are the dominant components of algae biomass at high growth rate and more, check out

April 1, 2022 Read Full Article

Separation Innovations & Tech: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Bioprocessing Separations Consortium

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 50-70% of bioprocessing costs are associated with separations, so there is a need to raise technical maturity of separations for biomass-derived intermediate and product streams while reducing costs and addressing the major separation challenges. So what is the U.S. DOE BETO Bioprocessing Separations Consortium doing

March 31, 2022 Read Full Article

Argonne Researcher Tests New Approach to Lighten the Carbon Footprint of Locomotives

by Kristen Mally Dean (Argonne National Laboratory) Using hydrous ethanol as a dual fuel in internal combustion engines may help reduce greenhouse gases in the rail industry. — … Essam El-Hannouny, a principal mechanical engineer at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, won a Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) Award

March 30, 2022 Read Full Article

New Bioprocesses for Lignin Valorization: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to NREL’s Biological Lignin Work

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) NREL is focusing on commodity productswith sufficient market sizes to aid biofuels production (e.g., adipic acid), working with Lignin Util. & SepConfor lignin substrates, and developing innovative biocatalysts and bioprocesses for lignin valorization. Get all the latest on their progress and research outcomes so far

March 25, 2022 Read Full Article

Three Partners, Two Problems, One Bioenergy Research Article Published

by Valerie Sarisky-Reed (U.S. Department of Energy) … The journal Nature Biotechnology recently published a paper featuring cutting-edge work funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO). The article details a carbon-negative platform that uses microorganisms to convert carbon captured from agricultural, industrial, and societal waste streams into useful chemicals.

March 24, 2022 Read Full Article

Greener Biofuel Production Beckons

(Chemical Processing) Novel electrocatalyst-based system operates at mild conditions and produces hydrogen — A research team at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, Wash., has developed a patent-pending system that uses a flow cell bioreactor to turn carbon previously considered unrecoverable from so-called biocrude (aqueous waste streams) into valuable

March 24, 2022 Read Full Article

EIA Projects U.S. Renewable Diesel Supply to Surpass Biodiesel in AEO2022

by Estella Shi, Will Sommer, Andrew Smiddy (U.S. Energy Information Administration) In our Annual Energy Outlook 2022 (AEO2022) Reference case, which reflects current laws and regulations, we project that renewable diesel supply (domestic production and net imports) will exceed biodiesel supply in the near term. We project that renewable diesel supply will increase to

March 24, 2022 Read Full Article

EPA Holds Training on Updated Process to Bring Biofuels to Market

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA in holding webinars on March 23 and April 6 related to its January 2022 announcement that the agency is launching a new initiative under the Toxic Substances Control Act that aims to streamline the review of new biobased fuels and chemicals that could be

March 23, 2022 Read Full Article

A Push for Higher Blends of Ethanol at MN Fuel Pumps

(Red River Farm Network) The Minnesota Corn Growers Association is closely monitoring an effort in the state legislature that would allow year-round use of E15. The petroleum marketers came to the corn growers with a proposal to market higher ethanol blends in the state. “Their concern, of course, is what

March 22, 2022 Read Full Article

The Comment that Silenced the Crowd: Heard on the Floor at ABLC 2022

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Topsoe’s Mikala Grubb stepped in. “What we have is a solids to liquids conversion problem.” The room went quiet, quiet like a church. “750 delegates negotiating in a small hotel but you can hear a watch ticking,” that silence. What she was describing was the

March 22, 2022 Read Full Article

Argonne Pioneers New Processes to Create Materials for Batteries, Biofuels

(Newswise/Argonne National Laboratory) New chemical separations enable battery recycling, biodiesel — When recycling cans and bottles, at some point it becomes necessary to separate out plastic from metal. When recycling car batteries, getting out the most valuable metals also requires a separation, but this time it entails a specific kind of chemical

March 19, 2022 Read Full Article

EPA Publishes State-Level Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data, Resources to Promote State Action on Climate

(Environmental Protection Agency) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing new and updated resources to support states as they work to address the climate crisis and reduce climate pollution. These resources include new state-level data on greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and sinks, updates to EPA’s existing State Inventory Tool

March 8, 2022 Read Full Article

De-Risking Biorefinery Scale-up and Startup: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to FCIC

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium is led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and coordinates efforts among 9 labs – big ones like NREL, ORNL, Sandia, INL and others. Check out the FCIC’s latest slide guide on their current research areas, feedstock

February 28, 2022 Read Full Article

Climate Friendly Jet Fuel: 3 Strategies for Accelerating Its Production

(U.S. Department of Energy) Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is striving to bring more low- and zero-net-carbon sustainable aviation fuel to the market. The equivalent of 30,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools—that’s how much jet fuel the United States consumes in a typical

February 17, 2022 Read Full Article

Sorghum: A Sweet Proposition for Sustainable Biofuel

(U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service) Sweet sorghum is best known for the amber-colored syrup that’s made from its juices. Now, this hardy member of the grass family could also be tapped as a “home-grown” resource for making a renewable transportation fuel called bio-butanol. Towards that end, a team of

February 15, 2022 Read Full Article

From the Lab to the Sky: Five Things to Know about Biofuel-Powered Flights

(U.S. Department of Energy ) On December 1, 2021, a United 737 Max 8 carried more than 100 passengers from Chicago to Washington, D.C.—just one of roughly 87,000 flights over the United States that day. Reporters and TV crews gathered to meet the travelers on the tarmac because this flight differed

February 12, 2022 Read Full Article

See How E15-Compatible Your Station Is Right Now

(FlexFuelForward.com/National Renewable Energy Laboratory) You don’t need x-ray vision to see if your fueling infrastructure is compatible with E15. Just use Flex Check to search components by manufacturer, model number, or component category (such as: above ground equipment, above ground tank, overfill prevention, piping, pumping equipment, release detection, and others). If

January 11, 2022 Read Full Article

USDA Secretary Vilsack Meets with GE Aviation on Sustainable Aviation Fuel to Reduce CO2

by Jay Stowe (GE Aviation/Biobased Diesel Daily) After leading USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack on a tour of the engine development assembly facility at GE Aviation’s headquarters in Evendale, Ohio, in early December, chief engineer Chris Lorence posed a rhetorical question to the reporters assembled for a news conference: “What does the